Returning at the Speed of Longing
by Traitor of All Traitors
Summary: On their way back to the Kanto region, Team Rocket encounter faces from the past.


Creation began on 04-17-13

Creation ended on 04-18-13

Pokemon

Returning at the Speed of Longing

A/N: I was simply browsing around the Internet and reading a few character profiles got me thinking about this type of story. Here goes something.

It was a long time since they parted ways. A very long time. They never had the greatest of victories or won actual gym battles or captured any rare Pokemon, but they had good times along the way. The only thing that never changed with the passage of time…was the heartache that persisted in their hearts.

Thud! Something fell out of her pocket.

"Oh?" Jesse realized, and found it was one of her old Poke Balls, and picked it up. "Oh."

"What is it, Jesse?" James asked her, as he and Meowth stopped walking down the forest path on their way back to the Kanto region.

"This was…my first Poke Ball," she expressed, and a tear escaped her right eye.

James then got the realization and took a Poke Ball of his own.

"I've not forgotten," he told her. "I marked mine with the date and the name."

"What are you two talking about?" Meowth asked them, unaware of what was bothering them.

"Arbok," went Jesse.

"Weezing," added James.

"Oh," the Scratch Cat Pokemon realized…and tried to disregard their sadness; he really didn't let much of their problems bother him, as they had let the two Poison Pokemon leave to protect a group of Ekans and Koffing from a poacher, so it wasn't really his fault or problem. _That was over five years ago._

"You think they're alright?" Jesse asked James.

"Probably," he suspected. "They're tough."

When they resumed their walk through the forest on their way back to Kanto, the day had already turned to night…and they had encountered a hindrance that they often used on the kid with the Pikachu: A hole in the ground.

"Ouch!" James whined, feeling like his butt had lost all sensation.

"If I ever catch the fool that dug this hole, they're going to pay dearly for this!" Jesse yelled out.

"Uh-oh!" Meowth gasped, looking up at the trees above their heads. "I think we're in trouble!"

Jesse and James looked up and saw many eyes glowing in the darkness looking down at them. Whatever thoughts of summoning their available Pokemon to do battle was pushed to the very bottom of their minds. Worse than that was the fear that they probably weren't anywhere near strong enough to do battle against whatever Pokemon these might've been. The next thing they knew…

"Charbok, char!" One of the shadowed Pokemon uttered out.

"Weezing, wee," another added.

The shadowed Pokemon came down from the trees and revealed themselves to Team Rocket: One was a large, purple snake with markings on the sides and bottom of its head that looked like a wicked face, and the other was a floating, misshapen ball of gas with eyes and teeth. They were an Arbok and Weezing, respectively, and their eyes and facial expressions looked on the verge of tearing.

"No way!" Jesse gasped. "Arbok!"

"Weezing!" James cheered.

Arbok and Weezing then helped the trio out of the hole and onto the ground, revealing that the other eyes in the dark were the pack of Ekans and Koffing they had left with to protect from poachers.

"Charbok, char," Arbok hissed out.

"Weezing, wee," added Weezing.

"They're saying they missed you," Meowth translated for them.

"Welcome back," Jesse and James declared to their Pokemon, hugging them.

-x-

The path out of the forest of Johto and into the open fields of Kanto was a path well chosen for Team Rocket. It gave them the unforeseen opportunity to reunite with old friends…and ending heartache that never stopped since they left the Johto region for the Hoenn region. In addition, with the return of Arbok and Weezing came the company of several Ekans and Koffing. Yes, it was a path well chosen for them to take back home. Back to where everything started for them.

End

A/N: Well, this is it right here. Now, it feels a bit even for those that had to part with their Pokemon and wouldn't know if they would meet them again. Also, I've paid attention to the Kanto region episodes that featured Arbok in the beginning and it always sounded like it hissed out its name with a 'ch' at the beginning. Let me know what you think of this story when you read it. Peace!


End file.
